Push the Boat Out
by AristaWebb
Summary: Forget what you've seen so far, that sugar coated punch pulling mess is a cover up. I'm Mal and this is how us going to Auradon really went down, we thought we were just on your basic smash-and-grab mission for the Fairy Godmother's wand, you know, Bibbity-Bobbity-Be-Back-By-Curfew? But things were much bigger than we imagined. Forget being good. Things are about to get really bad.
1. Prologue

Once upon a time, long, long ago, well…more like twenty years ago, Belle married her Beast in front of six thousand of their closest personal friends, there was a big cake. And instead of a honeymoon Beast united all of the Kingdoms and got himself elected King of the Unity States of Auradon. He rounded up all the villains and the side kicks, basically all the really interesting people and he booted them off to the Isle of the Lost with a magical barrier to keep them there.

This is my hood, no magic, no wifi, no. way. out.

Or so I thought.

* * *

Prince Ben looked out the window at the Isle of the Lost, the magical barrier shrouding the island in fog an odd juxtaposition to the clear blue sky surround it. He felt the tailor, who had spent some years as a pin cushion thanks to his father's curse, lift his arm to measure the sleeve of his suit but his attention was still fixed across the sea until he felt a firm grip on his jaw turning him to face the front as his brow was measured for his crown.

"How is it possible that you're going to be coming out next month?" his father, King Adam, asked as he walked in arm in arm with his mother Queen Belle, "you're just a baby."

"He's turning sixteen dear," mother reminded him smiling.

"Ah sixteen," his father sighed, "I remember my Beautillion," then he winced awkwardly remembering the night he and all the castle's staff had been cursed. Ben heard the tailor make a quiet snorting noise behind him. After thinking on it his father continued, "I didn't make a good decision until I was at least forty two."

His mother, who had been examining the alternative cuts for Ben's suit turned to father in mock hurt, "You decided to marry me at twenty eight."

Father straightened his suit, "Well it was either you or a teapot," he joked winking at Ben but mother was still frowning at him, "kidding."

"Mom, dad," Ben said, "I've decided what I'd like to ask for as my presentation gift."

His parents cocked their heads towards him to show they were listening and Ben continued, "Every time I look at the Isle of the Lost I feel they've been abandoned. I want to offer the children the opportunity to be presented to the royal court at the coming out ball and for them to live here, in Auradon, if that's what they want."

"The children of our sworn enemies?" father clarified. His tone said he was unconvinced but mother was nodding, that was a good sign.

"I've already chosen them," Ben hurried to add with a hint of finality in his tone.

"Have you?" his father made a step towards him but mother laid a hand on his arm.

"I gave you a second chance," she cautioned then turned to Ben, "Who are their parents?"

"Cruella De Vil," father nodded, "Jafar," mother nodded, "Evil Queen," father frowned, "and Maleficent…"

"Maleficent?" his father snapped, Ben ducked his head but didn't break eye contact, "she was the worst villain in the land!"

"Dad just hear me out-"

"I won't hear of it," his father held a hand up to silence Ben, "they are guilty of unspeakable crimes-"

"But their children are innocent," Ben continued, heartened that his mother hadn't objected, "Dad?"

King Adam looked from his son to his wife who gave him a knowing look, his shoulders slumped and he turned back to Ben, "I suppose the children are innocent," he conceded, nodding to his son and stepping back to make way for Belle.

She came to stand in front of Ben, straightening his lapels and smiling proudly at him, "Well done," she whispered. Ben felt his cheeks go warm and he smiled shyly as his mother. She brushed back the stray brown hairs that had fallen into his eyes and turned back to father.

"Shall we?" she prompted, slipping her arm into her husbands and steering him back the way they'd come out the bay doors.

Ben looked himself over in the mirror, telling himself he was checking the cut of the suit but his eyes wondered all too easily back out the open window and over to the Isle of the Lost.

* * *

So you might think putting all the villains of all the stories you've been told while you're being tucked into bed at night would actually be the best idea any good-two-shoes has ever had, put that much genius together in a room and magic will happen right? Wrong. The truth is the majority of the villains here are pretty small time, so when they docked that final boat ditching Maleficent, Queen Grimhilde (Evil Queen to her friends), Jafar and Cruella DeVil it really didn't take them long to be running the place.

But the 'good guys' weren't the only ones to get with the 'good girls', if you know what I'm saying. I'm Mal, Maleficent's daughter. I'm kinda like a celebrity here, people just give me stuff and if they don't…I take it. Like candy from a baby. Of course mom goes one step further and has to lick the thing then give it back, which is kinda gross…wish I'd thought of it. I'm getting off topic.

Long story short Prince Ben, Beast's son and heir, has apparently invited us, uh me, my right hand Evie and basically minions 1 and 2 Jay and Carlos, to some sort of Coming Out Ball? It's one of these old school traditions where kids like us, well, kids our age, wear prissy dresses, curtsy a lot, waltz around a room and basically tell whatever royal happens to be there how pleased we are to meet them. Sickening right? Like if you go way back this was basically how everyone used to say 'hey look, come marry me' but no one does that any more.

It's supposed to be like this 'good will gesture' like we'll find redemption, walk into the light, I don't even know. But my mother being my mother, well crashing royal functions is kind of her forte, and she's got a plan. Master of ceremonies is headmistress the Fairy Godmother, you know the one, Blue Fairy's mom? Bibbity-Bobbity-Be-Back-By-Curfew? Basically all you need to know is she's the woman with the wand.

And that wand, is our way out of this cage.

That wand will bring down the barrier.

And I'll be the one bringing home the wand.

* * *

 **Hi guys, Arista here. So I was just browsing youtube, as you do, and I saw the Wicked World shorts? The animation is so cute! Then I ended up seeing the 'Rotten to the Core' number and I thought 'wow, I think I may have to retract all my reservations about Descendants and give it a watch'. So I did.**

 **Now don't get me wrong, I liked it, sort of. So long as you really don't look too closely and keep in mind the target audience age. I think something similar is about to happen to Jem and the Holograms.**

 **But the characters I saw in Rotten to the Core…I don't think they made an appearance in the film outside of that number. I felt none of the VKs really shined, like there was so much that could have been done with them that just…wasn't.**

 **So I know this prologue has basically re-hashed the first twenty minutes of the movie, practically paraphrasing a whole scene, but if you feel the same way as I do about the movie please consider sticking with me. At least through one more chapter.**

 **Hope my little changes are an enticing first bite of the apple ;)**

 **See you soon x**


	2. Chapter 1: With a Smile and Song

They sent a limousine. Can you believe that? It's so pretentious it hurts; it barely fits on the quay. No one really has a car on the Isle of the Lost, it's the smallest of the thirteen in its archipelago (bite me, I know my geography) and honestly you could walk around it faster than you could get a car round all the hovels we live in. Well I say we, I live in the castle, it used to belong to a Prince but now it basically belongs to my mother. Not that we're strangers to cars mind you, every week they open the 'yellow brick road' and a lorry comes to drop off supplies, apparently letting us starve to death isn't on the goody-two-shoes agenda. They used to send supplies by boat but they stopped that before I was even born, there was some big storm and most of the boats didn't make it, people went hungry on the Isle for two weeks before anyone realized what had happened. You see, and I've tested this, non-living things can go through the barrier just fine, but living things, no go.

So we'll just pretend we didn't totally freak out when we were driven threw the barrier and in the seconds before the light show road appeared beneath the wheels. The sooner I can bring down that barrier the better. But how to get my hands on the wand, the Fairy Godmother probably still keeps it up her sleeve.

Magic doesn't work on the Isle of the Lost so it's not something I've had much practice at. Tucked inside my jacket is my mother's spell book, she couldn't give me her staff, too obvious, but I'm itching to try some spells. I can practically feel the power at my fingertips.

"You're looking washed out. Let me help you."

I jump as one of Evie's brushes flutters across my cheek, batting it away with the back of my hand. "Ew, stop, I'm plotting."

"Well it's not very attractive," Evie sighs leaning back into Jay's side and proceeding to use the brush on herself pouting into her hand mirror. He's got one arm across the back of her seat and keeps sneaking whatever Carlos has found to eat when he's not looking. There's been something between those two for the past couple of years, I don't know exactly what and I don't care to.

Fields and towns roll by that I don't recognize, everything is so green and generally saturated colour I'm starting to suspect I'll need sunglasses when I get out of the car. It's weird to look up and not see clouds roiling with magic, just endless open space. I feel kind of small in comparison.

"So what's the plan Mal?" Carlos asks, smears of brown around his mouth.

I give him a pointed look, flicking my gaze to the side to indicate the driver who's probably listening to every word. "Mug this wise guy for the magic barrier button," I reply coolly feigning relaxed and leaning back into the leather.

I'm rewarded by a snort from the driver side of the divider and I think we have him fooled. Carlos seems to get the picture and gingerly resumes eating.

But really I don't have a plan, not yet. I'm expecting a guard, or at least some sort of magic restrictions for sure, no way they'd let us just run around. Separate classes? Meals in our rooms? In our cells? I don't know what opportunity we'll have to get the wand but we're going to have to be ready to take any chance, we have to be ready.

* * *

The marching band were lined along the drive, when the party planning club had been told Auradon Prep were to be hosting exchange students they'd been prepared to put together an entire musical number on the fly until they'd been told exactly who they were. Now the band was all that could be mustered and they were only really doing it because being on good terms for the Captain of Auradon's football team helped their otherwise-would-be poor social status. And since that Captain was Prince Ben who was turned out in a suit of Aurdaon's blue, Princess Audrey on his arm in a complimentary lemon yellow dress, and since he was standing ready to great their guests…so were the band.

Headmistress Fairy Godmother, who had long ago turned in her robe for an a-line dress and bolero combo in her signature colours, held up her hands when the car was sited coming up the drive and the band struck up a tune. She tucked a stray grey curl behind her ear and smiled warmly as the limousine rolled to a gently stop before the greeting party of three. She'd have liked two more students, four for four you know, but everyone was so busy at the beginning of the school year there'd been no volunteers.

The driver came round to the passenger side and opened the door for his charges. A purple leather clad leg swung out, a hand in a fingerless glove gripped the edge of the door and then there she was. Head to toe in leather that looked like it had been cobbled together from the off cuts of other outfits, purple hair framing a fresh face and a deceptively sweet mouth.

Behind her another girl slides out, skirt shorter than her finger tips and a twisted braid mimicking a crown around her head. She stands a little taller than the first, but whether that's the heals or a natural advantage it's hard to tell. Her dark eyes look over the Auradonians and come to rest on Prince Ben. Her head cocks to the side and she smiles side long at him, he hasn't noticed because he's focusing on the boy getting out of the car. But boy is an understatement, standing near enough a head taller than the girls, broad shouldered and solidly built the term seems inadequate. The last one on the other hand fit it perfectly, down to getting his foot caught on the lip of the door and the only thing stopping him going face first into the dirt is a steading hand to the chest from the other …boy. A shock of white hair and dusting of white freckles across his nose, an awkward expression of interest tugging at his lips as his eyes roved around the front lawn. He almost looked…innocent.

The Fairy Godmother stepped forward, spreading her hands in front of her, "Who knocks at the doors of learning?"

Three sets of eyes blinked at her in various stages of disinterest, none pro-offer an introduction. The fourth pair were fixed on Princess Audrey, "Hello…pussy cat," the taller boy purred, adjusting his waistcoat and winking at her. The Princess let out an indulging sound and her smile stretched a little tighter.

The Fairy Godmother started again, "Welcome to Auradon Prep, I'm your Headmistress the Fairy Godmother," now she had their attention, perhaps they weren't a lost cause.

"The. Fairy Godmother?" the first girl asks, looking at her now it's plain whose daughter she is, she's Maleficent's daughter, Mal. She has the same jaw line, the same sleek eyes and the way the other three are formed in a loose semi-circle around her points her out as their leader. "As in Bibbii bobbidi boo?"

The ageing headmistress smiles indulgently, "Bibbi bobbidi you know it," she affirms. Still all their interest is on her, like small moths to the flame of goodness perhaps.

"I've always wondered what it felt like," Mal's eyes were wide, "what it must have felt like for Cinderella when you just appeared out of nowhere with that sparkly wand and warm smile." Fairy God Mother smiled. "And fixed everything….with that sparkly wand."

Poor children.

"That was a long time ago," she consoled them, best not to let them think magic could fix all their problems, "and as I like to say, 'don't focus on the past or you'll miss the future!'"

Ben and Audrey took this as their cue to step forward to great each in turn. "It's good to meet you all," said Ben, his smile wide, genuine and gleaming white, a credit to his parents, "I'm Ben."

" _Prince_ Benjamin, heir to the Auradon throne" Audrey corrected, "And I'm Princess Audrey-"

"You had me at Prince," says the second female descendent, stepping forward, "My mom's a queen, which makes me a Princess," she says doing an extravagant curtsey which is set off more by her poncho than her skirt, looking up through dark lashes at Ben, "Princess Evie."

Audrey cut across her, "The Evil Queen has no royal status here, and neither do you," her tone is punctual and her smile is still intact.

Evie takes her eyes off Ben, who has gone faintly pink around the collar, and lets her gaze travel up Audrey and she stands to her full height, which is just a little taller than the Princess, hands on her hips. "Once a Queen, always a Queen," the girl retorts and flicks a midnight curl over her shoulder, stepping back to flank Mal, but she's a little flushed around the collar too.

Ben steers Audrey towards the boys in an attempt to lessen the tension and continues the personal introductions. Deeming the situation to no longer be as volatile as she'd feared the Fairy Godmother decides it's time to make her exit, "Ben and Audrey will show you around, and I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast," she says cheerily, "the doors of wisdom are never shut, but the library hours are from eight to eleven and I have a little thing about curfews." She winks conspiratorially and breezes past the children towards the administrative building where the rest of the staff will be in the staff room waiting to hear what the descendants are really like.

* * *

I admit I'm not massively interested in the statue of the King, even if it does morph from ugly to…well…uglier, or the library (gifted to Queen Belle by Prince Adam whilst he was still a Beast and opened for public use when the West Wing was converted into the school), or the kitchen (most of the current staff were cursed into utensils and the head chef used to be a teacup), or the science block (the Head of Science came out of retirement as a wood carver to teach Chemistry), or the music hall (carved out of the cliff face by the dwarves who play occasionally), or the theatre (maintained by gypsies, the hunch backed stage manager really does wonderful things with the sets), or the sports complex (see some guy named Hunter if you want to use it apparently) or really…well any of it. It does become a blur of white brick and stained glass after a while.

But there's one thing that's bothering me.

"Now over here we have Potts House, that's the girl's dorms and that's where-"

"Where do they teach the magic?" I interrupt.

He looks startled, for all that his hair is perfectly styled, no lint on his shoulders, it seems I've caught the Prince off guard. Maybe that was too obvious, maybe they've deliberately not mentioned the magic, do they suspect us? Have I blown it already.

Then he smiles, easy, warm, sickeningly genuine.

"Magic hasn't been taught in Auradon since the reforms," he explains.

"What?" Now I'm confused. Reforms?

Princess Audrey brushed her hair back off her shoulders, "It's okay that you don't know. Not everything reaches the Isle of the Lost," she smiles, but it's more the smile of someone holding all the cards. "With all the villains rounded up magic was just, a shortcut. So to show the power of progress the Fairy Godmother and her two daughters the Blue Fairy and Glinda the Good put down their wands and helped build this school. Where everyone is equal."

It takes a second. No one uses magic? What does this mean?

"Put down their wands? They don't use them anymore?"

I realise how stupid I must sound from the look she gives me. The sign of condescension, I've heard it from my mother enough times before she tells me something that should have been obvious.

"No, no one uses magic. We all have a power in ourselves, we're encouraged to find it," she recites.

But if no one uses magic, how is the barrier maintained? Someone must be using magic. But I know it's more than my life's worth to say those words aloud. The Fairy Godmother may have been charmed and this Prince Ben hasn't seemed put off by us at all but Princess Audrey hasn't let us out of her site.

On the plus side. If the Fairy Godmother isn't using her wand, taking it might have just got a whole lot easier. But I'm going to need to find it first.

And they said no one uses magic. Not that it doesn't work. The spellbook almost burns inside my jacket and I know the second I'm alone I'm going to try and spell. If we ever get off this damn tour.

"Anyway," Ben resumes, "Mal, Evie, you'll be staying here and Audrey will help you find your dorm room. I hope you don't mind sharing, we thought having a double would help ease the transition if you were with a friendly face."

I actually have to fight to keep the smile on my face. Not that I'm complaining, having Evie in easy reach is going to make this a lot easier, but he's so sickenly sincere I want to laugh. He actually believes everything he's just said. He couldn't be more polished if you spat on him and rubbed him with a rag. But I've taken too long to reply and he's already turned to Jay and Carlos.

"Jay, Carlos, if you'll follow me across the quad to Cogsworth House I'll show you where you'll be staying, dinner is served in Lumière Hall from 6pm. Afternoon ladies," he nods to us, and separates from Audrey who kisses him on the cheek. He sets off on the path that borders the square of grass in the center then has to gesture for Jay and Carlos to get off the grass.

"This way," Audrey chirps, curls bouncing and skirt swirling around her knees as she strides to a white building where the doors and windows are accented in purple. Chubby winged gargoyles perch at the corners of the roof. I look to Evie and shrug, following her, might as well see where we're sleeping. The entry foyer has a staircase on either side leading to a corridor. We pass what looks like a room full of chairs and bean bags supporting various manikins in different shades of pink. Only they're not manikins, they're real people, just people that have gone really quiet and are watching us as we walk past.

I know they're the one in the room but why do I feel like I'm the fish in the bowl?

Audrey pushes open a door at the end of the hall revealing a room with two four poster beds, two desks, two wardrobes, a bank of shelves and lots and lots of florals.

"This is where you'll be sleeping and studying, names are on the doors, you need to be in the building by 10, in your rooms by 11 and lights out no later than midnight," she explains.

I feign a yawn, tapping my mouth with my hand, "You're putting me to sleep _Princess_."

"I would have thought that was _your_ forte."

 _Touché_.

"Benni-boo may buy into this wide-eyed wonder look you've got going but you're not fooling me. I'll be watching you and the second you slip up I'll put you back in the car myself. I'll even wave, maybe shed a tear for the regrettably unredeemable."

I drop all pretense of humor because that's a threat if I ever heard one. I don't think Evie heard it because she's gushing about the view from somewhere inside the room.

"Why don't you go back to Benni-boo then Princess before I put a spell on you," I twiddle my fingers at her dismissively.

Her nose wrinkles as she frowns, "Don't make me laugh, even if you knew the first thing about magic, which you don't, magic doesn't work here. So I don't know if this," she wiggles her fingers so close to my nose I have to draw back, "impresses anyone where _you're_ from. But here it has no power. And neither do you." Then she raises her voice, it's back to its chipper tone and she's all bounce, "Have fun settling in girls, come find me if you have any questions at all. Bathroom's communal and just down the hall, I'd advise getting in early. Bye now."

With a jaunty wave and swirl of skirts she's gone and I am left feeling like the very blood in my veins is boiling. I close the door as controlled as I can. I don't want anyone to think she's gotten to me. I stand fuming at the door trying to get my thoughts together.

"They're really not intimidated by us at all are they?"

I turn, "Evie?"

"I thought it would be like home," she continues, she's facing the window, her back to me, "people get out of our way when they see us. Here they just…they just look down on us." Her shoulders are low, she's gripping the curtain, the rings rattling against the rail. Then she turns and she's all my girl, from the hand on her hip and the fierce tilt to her chin, "Let's show them what evil really is."

I smirk. We've totally got this.

* * *

 **Hello everyone, Arista here. Firstly, big big thank you to everyone that read my prologue (even though it doesn't really feel mine yet) and to the 6 people who have 'followed' this story. I hope that this first chapter is what you're holding out for.**

 **I know that again I haven't gotten very far away from the movie, I've tried to expand the world, I've adjusted Audrey's character as I felt she should be more aware and pro-active than she was. I know I lost my tenses somewhere in the third person section and I hope it doesn't deter from your reading experience.**

 **But the setting up is done and now I can really sink my teeth into my ideas. I'm hoping to have updates be roughly every week. I have some ideas for OCs and Disney canon characters that I hope you'll enjoy.**

 **At the moment I'm only going to use Mal for the first person POV but let me know if you'd like to see anyone else's.**

 **Fingers crossed I see some of you next chapter. Feel free to leave a review and let me know what you think.**


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